The women’s golf team could not come back after a disappointing first round Monday, and finished 14th in the Marilynn Smith/Sunflower Invitational at Kansas State University.

Fifteen teams competed in the two-day tournament, which featured Big-12 power-house Kansas. The team traveled to Manhattan, Kan., where it competed in a practice round on Sunday before play started the next day.

Senior Cassie Rushing said she wasn’t too enthused going in, because she knew the weather could be a factor.

“I wasn’t really that confident going into this weekend’s tournament anyway,” Cassie Rushing said. “The wind was strong, and when you’re not used to playing in that wind, it doesn’t help your confidence at all.”

Rushing led the Salukis after the first round with an 83 on the par 72 course. Rushing had a solid round through 11 holes on the first day, but carded a nine of the par-4 fourteenth.

Freshman Brooke Cusumano entered the second tournament as the number two qualifier, just as she did in the last tournament. Cusumano and junior Kris Grimes finished at 87 after the first round. Freshman Xainmei Jin shot an 88 while senior Ashleigh Rushing totaled an 89.

The leader after day one was Kansas sophomore Yupaporn Kawinpakorn, who played solid golf en route to a 72. She finished the day with 15 pars, two birdies and one double bogey.

Three Saluki golfers improved their second-round score by five shots. Cassie Rushing continued her impressive career with a 78, her 60th round in the 70s as a Saluki. Rushing was finished with three birdies in her second 18.

Cusumano was able to rebound from her opening round 87 to an 82 in her second 18 holes of the tournament. Jin jumped from an 88 to an 82 and Ashleigh Rushing improved by four strokes for an 85.

Ashleigh Rushing said even though she didn’t play well, she didn’t let it affect her attitude toward the other players.

“I feel like overall even though I played bad, my attitude about how bad I was playing was good,” Ashleigh Rushing said. “I tried to stay calm and positive.”

Kansas’ Kawinpakorn had a tie for the lead after the second day with Kansas State senior Gianna Misenhelter with 2-over-par. Misenhelter had an opening round score of 75 but was able to find her rhythm and had four birdies in the second round where she shot a 71. Both golfers, who were leading through the opening day, struggled in the final round. Kawinpakorn finished with an 89 and Misenhelter with an 87.

The tournament ended as rough as it started for SIU. The Salukis had three players shoot in the 80s and two finished in the 90s. Cassie Rushing led SIU with a score of 245 during the two days. Kansas senior Meghan Potee won the tournament with an overall score of 224. The Jayhawks also won the tournament by 15 strokes. They shot a combined 926.

After only a few days of rest, the team will head to Kansas City where they will compete in the University of Missouri-Kansas City Kangaroo Fall Invitational Sept. 30 and Oct. 1. SIU will become very familiar with UMKC throughout the fall season as the rival school competed in the Kansas State tournament, and will be seen again in the final three tournaments of the fall season.

Ashleigh Rushing said the team could encounter some of the same weather difficulties they faced this past weekend at the next tournament.

“I’m assuming since we’re close to Kansas again, it’ll probably be windy,” Ashleigh Rushing said.